Fear of Feet Phobia – Podophobia You are here: Home / Phobias / Fear of Feet Phobia – Podophobia Fear of Feet Phobia – Podophobia To most people, the fear of feet phobia might sound weird or bizarre. However, Podophobia does exist and is quite a common specific phobia affecting many people across the globe. The word Podophobia originates from Greek ‘Podos’ meaning feet. People with Podophobia tend to get upset at the sight of feet. Different people experience Podophobia differently: some do not like it when others look at their feet or touch them. Still others are anxious or afraid of their own feet. Many do not like to hear, read/talk about or even see their own feet. The phobia can be detrimental to the sufferer’s health and well being, as, often, s/he refuses to remove shoes or socks preferring to keep them on even while sleeping. This can lead to fungal infections, allergies and other medical conditions. Let us study the symptoms, causes and treatment for fear of feet phobia in detail. Causes or origin of fear of feet phobia Nobody knows for sure why the fear of feet occurs.

Some experts believe that a traumatic or negative experience in the past, which had something to do with feet, might have triggered this phobia. A child might remember being kicked over and over by an elder or sibling and hence come to hate or dislike feet intensely. In such cases, the Podophobe tends to get irritated, anxious or extremely frightened at the sight of other people’s bare feet. Some doctors believe that the fear might have been inherited or have genetic causes. Sometimes, it might simply exist without any explicable reasons. Painful foot conditions like bunions, hammertoe etc can also lead to fearing pain of the feet. In some cases, these conditions can be linked to Podophobia. Generally speaking, people who tend to be high strung, overly anxious or are having some kind of adrenal deficiency might also acquire Podophobia. Symptoms of Podophobia As is the case with other phobias, Podophobia can also be persistent. The sufferer might experience many physical or psychological symptoms despite knowing that feet are not harmful or dangerous.

Yet, s/he is absolutely powerless to overcome the symptoms: Shortness of breath or accelerated heartbeat and palpitations at the sight of or thought about feet Extreme fear or anxiety that leads to constant movie-like images about feet in the phobic’s mind Sweating, shaking or trembling Podophobia - Dan Schaumann Dan Schaumann Official site of avid traveller and singer/songwriter, Dan Schaumann. Debut album "A Thousand Days Beneath The Sun" out now on CD and iTunes. Podophobia noun An irrational fear of feet I’ve been browsing through the personals section on Craigslist fairly regularly since I moved to Montreal. Contrary to popular belief, Craigslist has actually been really good to me over the years. I’ve made lifelong friends and had many enjoyable times that all began with a simple email to someone who posted in the w4m section. Recently I’d seen a post on Casual Encounters (the section where you go for NSA hookups) from a girl who sounded unusually genuine, saying she’d like to meet someone with the intention of hanging out on a casual, FWB-type basis.

I normally steer clear of this part of the website because 95% of the posts are either spam or creepy guys pretending to be girls, but this particular post was worded in such a normal, human-like way that I felt it truly was a girl looking to hook up with a guy for a bit of fun. I took a chance and emailed her, telling her I was new to Montreal and also looking for a similarly beneficial agreement with someone. I mentioned that I enjoyed travelling, I offered a physical description of myself and I invited her to my favourite Montreal venue for first dates, Cafe des Chats (my local cat cafe). Hallelujah! She replied back. Hi Dan. Ok, you partly had me at Australian, the accent is awesome. 🙂 I have never been to Cafe des Chats before. I actually had to google it; I think I’d vaguely read about it online or something because there’s something vaguely familiar about it. Random choice, I like it! She went on to say she’d lived in New Zealand for a year and spent some time in Australia (including my hometown of Townsville); it was clear I was pretty high up on her hit list.

We emailed back & forth and texted a few times and ended up agreeing on a day to meet for coffee & cats. Interestingly, we never even shared photos or spoke on the phone through any of this. I had no idea what she looked like or even if she really was a woman. We eventually met at Sherbrooke station at our set time and I confirmed: she was indeed a girl! She was in her early 30’s, quite tall, dyed dark red hair, with an athletic kinda build. She could have passed for a swimmer. We got along well over coffee and ended up getting some dinner at a nearby Korean restaurant. It turned out to be quite a successful date, so I asked her to come to the cinema with me the following weekend. She agreed, and we saw a documentary called Seymour: An Introduction, which told the life story of a famous concert pianist from New York. It was a good doc (like, 10 out of 10 good – you should watch it). I picked well. We journeyed on over to a bar for dinner & drinks, and before we went home we hung out at the park and cuddled a bit. It was nice.

I knew by this stage that I wasn’t interested in her in a romantic sense but I was definitely down for sticking one in. So for our next date of course I invited her over to my place for dinner. She arrived early on a Friday evening – somehow we had the house to ourself, which is rare for a Friday – and by all accounts the dinner went very well. She was super impressed with the food, which included a pie from Montreal’s very own Australian + NZ pie shop. We watched The Castle after dinner and made our way through a bottle of red. We got a little snuggly during the film which was nice, you know, an arm around each other and holding hands. The movie finished and I invited her to chill out in my room. She agreed. We got to bed and chatted for a bit but I could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable. I thought perhaps it was just some initial nerves and she’d come through in a while. We started to make out but again there was something about her that wasn’t quite right. She was laying in a really awkward position… she just couldn’t seem to bring herself to relax.

I asked if she was ok and she assured me she was, so we kept at it but still it didn’t feel right cause she was kinda half on the bed and half off the bed. It was so weird & confusing. It was like she didn’t want to disappoint me by admitting that she wasn’t comfortable, you know? I encouraged her to loosen up, to no avail. Finally, she came clear: “I can’t relax! I have this psychological block where I’m not able to put my feet on anything I don’t own!” That’s right, kids: she couldn’t put her feet on my bed because it wasn’t her bed. Even with stockings on, she still couldn’t bring herself around to it. It was like my duvet was a forcefield, blocking her feet from ever residing on its soothing feathery warmth. She told me that in her previous house, her roommate kept a footrest in front of their sofa, but she could never use it because she didn’t own it – it was owned by her roommate. Alarm bells rang in my head. Are you serious? The romance was dying off big time but I tried once more to comfort her by assuring her I had no problem whatsoever with her feet on my bed.

And she actually tried – oh how she tried – but the look on her face while she attempted to position her entire body down on my bed from head to toe was terrifying. I called it off. She was clearly upset at herself because she knew her actions were unreasonable. I was nice about it and laughed it off: ‘forget about it, it’s ok! We can just chill and chat instead’. When really in my mind all I was thinking ‘WHAT THE FUUUUCKKKK JUST HAPPENED?’ She went on to say that she struggles at being affectionate and she has some trust issues, but come on man, why would you post an ad on Craigslist Casual Encounters wanting to meet boys for a causal shag if you can’t even physically handle being on their beds? God knows what happened to the poor girl in the past that led to her having a phobia of her own feet. She left half an hour later and we never heard from each other again. Comments for I have Podophobia, fear of feet Comments for I have Podophobia, fear of feet feet..ugh by: Anonymous feet gross me out. My own feet, i can touch but i still think they are gross when i look at them.

I can not stand to look at people if they are not wearing shoes or socks. it is only bare feet though, and if someone touches me with their feet or touch my feet, i almost cry and feel like i am going to vomit, and i start to feel out of breath. If people are wearing flip flops or sandals i get grossed out, but not quite as much because i know they can't touch me with their feet as easily. I try not to tell people about my fear, as they are often mean and try to touch me with their feet afterwards. I am constantly asking people to put on socks if they are at my house, and i have a hard time swimming and at other places like that. i am 12 and my parents think i do it for attention but i don't even know what my fear is called and i am genuinely afraid and grossed out but feet and i don't know what has caused it or when it started but i cant help it and i don't know how to fix it because my parents wont take me to get help anywhere because they don't believe me.

Peaole are stupid by: khalta I have the same symptoms, I can't have bare feet touching me or seeing people rubbing there own feet.. it's just disgusting. I live in a Muslim world and I am Muslim too... Going to mosque and find people touching there own feet.. i lose focus and don't even pray, i start swearing in my head. Feet with shoe on are not a problem.. but bare or with socks are gross. Feet are made to walk on them, not to hug them or lick them or touch them.. needless to speak about rubbing them. I don't care for other people and anyone tries to tease me with feet.. I am ready to lose that person for good.. even my daughters or parents.. I DON'T FU..ING Care... PEOPLE ARE JUST STUPID AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF ME HATING FEET.. THEY ARE NOT MADE TO BE FOND OFF. Feet Podophobia by: Anonymous Everytime I wear shoes that are not open-toed I have to wash my feet with soap. It will gross me out if I have been going barefoot all day in my house & lay down in my clean bed with nasty, dirty feet.

So when im in my house I wear flip flops so I can easily wash the flip flops when I go to wash my feet. Freakazoids by: Anonymous How can you even exist in society--especially during warm weather months? What about going swimming; having fun at the water park; chilling in the hot tub on a cold winter night; taking your snowboard boots off in the lodge and relaxing with a hot drink after a day on the mountain; having friends over to watch football games or movies or play poker---that's supposed to be something relaxing where you take your shoes off and get comfortable. I honestly don't understand how people with this phobia can survive unless they're hermits.

My little brother is only afraid of my feet by: Concerned older sister Hi , My little brother lets call him Carl is afraid of my feet but only mine he's perfectly fine to looking or touching my little lets call her Kelly , he's just fine with that but when It comes to mine he just , well he doesn't cry or hyperventilate or anything like that he just screams ( he's 9yrs old so doesn't scream scream but like yelps or something ) and runs and I don't put my feet on him but Kelly (10 yrs old) thinks its hilarious to touch my feet whenever she can and chase him . I was wondering if there's any easy way to help because I checked google and found one that said to look at feet from a distance than touch one to get over it , but , he refuses to even look at it I'm not trying to force it in him I'm just wondering if its normal or anything ... Remember it's only MY feet he's afraid of .

" Lilly " My little brother is only afraid of my feet by: Concerned older sister Hi , My little brother lets call him Carl is afraid of my feet but only mine he's perfectly fine to looking or touching my little lets call her Kelly , he's just fine with that but when It comes to mine he just , well he doesn't cry or hyperventilate or anything like that he just screams ( he's 9yrs old so doesn't scream scream but like yelps or something ) and runs and I don't put my feet on him but Kelly (10 yrs old) thinks its hilarious to touch my feet whenever she can and chase him . I was wondering if there's any easy way to help because I checked google and found one that said to look at feet from a distance than touch one to get over it , but , he refuses to even look at it I'm not trying to force it in him I'm just wondering if its normal or anything ... Remember it's only MY feet he's afraid of .

Human Body In General Is Disgusting by: EyeLikeDogs I am creeped-out by the human body in general (I'm a middle-aged male)- but clod-hoppers [feet...ewww] have to be the second worst parts- second only to the privates! And yet, I can find the feet of certain young, attractive women to be erotic and beautiful. But in general, feet disgust me more than just about anything. When I was a kid, I had to stop being friends with this one guy, because he had the audacity to wear SANDALS! [Men should NOT wear sandals!]- I would never wear sandals, as I try to give other people the same consideration I would like from them. [I'm physically fit, and considered quite attractive- but I do try and dress in a manner that does not reveal too much, and which accentuates and enhances the human body]. I HATE going to public places like Walmart in the warm weather- as you always see so many cretins [including old people; obese tubs; ugly women; men...] with big fugly feet, wearing thongs and flip-flops!

Seriously, people should have more respect for themselves and others, and NOT go around 90% naked in public![shudder!] Absolutely disgusting by: Hanna I hate feet. My parents don't take me seriously and when I try to explain to them, they just laugh. I don't mind other people giving me pedicures or massaging my feet, but if someone tickles me I literally flip out. And like one of my "friends" had athletes foot once and she kept on like itching her toes and stuff and it was GUHROOSS and ever since then I have been mortified by them. I don't mind showing my own feet because I take really good care of them. But everyone thinks I do it for attention. But seriously I don't I am freaked by feet. Percy Ross by: Anonymous I was always afraid that i was the only person afraid of feet. I cannot tell you guys how glad I am to find this site. Feet just gross me out. I don't have it as bad as some people on here, like I'm fine with feet ad long as there is covered socks or shoes over them. In fact, I find socked feet fairly appealing.

Its just bare feet I have a huge problem with. And like a few comments I've read on here, I have this uncontrollable thing where when I do see someone with bare feet I just cannot stop staring at the disgusting things. And is terrible because they make me so disgusted I can't keep the disgust of my face when I do stare and I don't want the person feeling bad when they catch me looking at them like they are ugly or something. I think my phobia started when I was fairly young. My younger sister had this god awful habit of sticking her bare feet in peoples faces and saying "smell my feet!" And the time when I woke up late at night or early morning and turned on the TV (I must've been between 4-6) and it was this stupid b movie and I just happened to get the scene where you a middle aged man was getting off from this nicely dressed lady by licking her feet all over. I cringe just thinking about it now. And the women enjoyed it too. So yeah, scarred for life. Doesn't help that I lived on an island where it's the land of sandals and bare feet.

:( fear of feet by: Anonymous i hate it when people rub their feet.im now 15 and i still hate it. my phobia started ever since when i would walk by my big sister she would shake her feet at me and rub it. i think its gross and i get a negative feeling when people do it towards me and she still tortures me with her feet im gonna try and see a shrink to get over my phobia. i hope im not the only that has this problem curse by: Anonymous me too i cant say the word. i even hate saying foot or shoe, just typing that made me uncomfortable. i think its abnormal to not feel guilty saying the word. when other people talk about them it makes me sick. and when they do start talking about them they cant stop and it becomes so interesting for everyone. i think lesser of someone when they say the wordand it takes me a while to get over it when i happens, in fact i never get over it. i even judge people over it. i think i am lesser of a person because i have this problem. it ruins my confidence and i will never get over it. theres no cure for it but i honestly thought i was the only one in the world.

i thought i was cursed, well i still do but it helps knowing other people suffer from something similar. Has anyone gone for treatment? by: Anonymous I have a family member who has this foot disorder. Has anyone went for treatment? This is worse than most phobias. Spiders, snakes, small places, you can avoid these things. This is the hardest thing to deal with. She makes out like it everyone who is not disgusted with feet are unstable. I was in the infantry and your feet are your friends. We don't see our feet or any feet but you are always asking, feet dry, need socks,i got extra foot powder. Feet are important. Ask someone who one or both. I can't get mine to seek help but talk to a professional. Just because you have found a group like you does mean you get to stop trying. If you think about it, you know. It's not funny by: boop I've hated feet since I was fairly young, but I got over it and stopped caring for a while. Now, it's worse than ever. My friend thinks it's the funniest thing ever, though.

She told me she put her toe in my mouth while I was asleep and we were in a pool once and she was trying to get ahead of me so she put her bare foot on my face. I almost cried. And then she tells everybody about the time I told her and another friend that one of my biggest fears is people putting their bare feet on my face because it was "funny and out of nowhere." I only have one friend who actually respects my strong dislike of feet. Also, I really don't like my mom's feet but she always puts them up close to me and it makes me really uncomfortable. 40 years and counting by: Anonymous I've had podophobia for over 40 years. It has ruined my life. I'm a 47 year old virgin because women have feet, and the thought of a stray foot touching me in bed terrifies me to the core. Whenever I get touched by a foot, I get blisters on that spot unless I scrub the affected area immediately, and I do mean immediately. Seconds count! My shrink says she thinks it's a manifestation of OCD. Eughh feet by: Anonymous My family believe I'm weird because I'm terrified of feet.

They think it's funny to try and put their feet on me which is horrific. Bare feet or with socks on they make me shudder and when one touches me I feel sick and my heart rate increases, I'm embarrassed to say if a foot touches above my waist I tend to cry and hyperventilate. No one I know understand how I feel they make me out to be stupid which doesn't help so it's good to know that there are so many more people that feel the same as me.!! Flip flops by: Anonymous i just posted on here and i forgot ot mention that i have to start wearing open toed shoes( flip flops sandals etc.) months in advance of summer like in the middle of February!!!

cause if i jsut all of a sudden start wearing them i will have a panik attack everytime i see my feet ...or somebody elses..so i prepare myself so i can survive the summer without having to wear Tennis Shoes the entire time i know its not ideal but it is the only thing i can do I dont know how to handle it by: Anonymous My family members are always touching one another and i feel as though i dont belong because i have Haphephobia or the fear of people touching you....so i also have Podophobia or the fear of feet and i also have OCD. Last night i was talking to my mom on my bed and she was wearing a black sock(eww foot) and there was a white fuzz on it so before i knew it my OCD had me taking the fuzz of my mothers foot..i touched her foot and when i realized i did i had a panic attack like i couldnt breathe and i had to sit in the fetal position for like 45 minutes then i sat in a chair at my bathroom sink and washed my hands in hot water used half a bottle of soap in REALLY hot water just to feel clean again...then i took a hot shower...IDK what i should do ......

am i a freak I don't know what exactly my phobia is called. by: Kara I've been afraid/disgusted by bare feet/toes for quite a while now. However not only am I disgusted to see people's toes an bottom of their feet, but whenever I wear sandals (very seldomly) I have the extremly bothersome sensation that people are STARING at my toes it freaks me out. On top of that I can NOT stand to look at people's toes it makes me physically sick sometimes, but for some reason if I see someone's feet (especially if they are revolting) I will keep staring until I get sick. I don't know why but I can't look away. If someone can help me email me at kara_vann@yahoo.com if you do so put something in the subject bar cause I get a lot of spam. Awkward by: Jessica I only got this fear since last year, when I went to an au-pair pedicure. The concept is to get a pedicure together with a friend or a family member, but I got paired up with a random person who I didn't know.

In the end we had to paint each other's toenails and for that we had to interlock toes. It was terrible... I think that was the spark for my phobia. I'm glad to find other people with the same problem though. I'm not alonee(: by: Anonymous My fear of feet came on gradually. But I'm now 16 and I can have feet touch me. Weather its a foot in a shoe, or in a sock, expecially a bare foot. Along with all that I can't stand when shoes are near me, that have been worn, dirty socks are the death of me! When a sock is just exposed to me that has been on a foot is just terrible. The thought of a warm sweaty sock makes me wanna throw up. Sometimes I can't even have my own feet touch each other or my legs. I hate seein pictures of feet, thinkin bout feet, people talkin bout feet, anything. I personally feel my phobia is gettin worst very fast. I'm to the point were I will jump over sofas, run in to walls, hide in rooms, ect. Just to try and get away from feet. I hate feet..

Obviously by: Sarah Jane Glad to know I'm not the only one out there! I cannot stand feet. Kids, teens, or adults. Especially when they're dry and crackly. I can't stand when someone's feet touch me. Everyone thinks I do it for attention. Although I don't, I get really scared and my heart rate goes up. My boyfriend really thinks its funny to put his feet over me. I even made him wash his hands after he itched his foot once. I always wear socks, no matter the temp outside, because I can't stand if my feet are out in the open or if they touch each other. Especially at night. Glad to know I'm not alone!! Strange... by: Anonymous I find it just strange how there are so many people afraid of feet, but there are just as many people who are attracted to feet. I'm neutral, they're just feet. They are just like anything in the world itself, some are ugly, some are normal, and some look nice. I don't have any phobias so I can't really relate, that being said, you all are a bunch of pansies!

LOL toes are gross by: toe hater / nature lover xD I hate it when people touch their toes!! I hate the sight of toes, especially when girls go everywhere wearing flip flops and guys go bare foot. Ughhhhh, it grosses me out. I especially hate it when people touch me with their toes or feet. Mr brothers, of course, do that all the time at home because we walk around the house with bare feet. I just stare at the toes and shudder. They are disgusting - no one understood this until now! Plus I met a girl today morning who has the same fear as I do xD. I HATE TOES! Same by: Anonymous I do not really mind feet as an entity, I just am for some reason not comfortable to show my feet anywhere. I dont have an infection or anything I just dont like showing them. feaked by feet by: Anonymous I am creeped out over bare feet. Unwalked on baby feet don't bother me. But once the baby walks that's it for me. Ppl will tease me and try to touch me with there feet and I freak. It's hard for me to be in a room with ppl wearing sandals.

I just loose all focus of what's going on. Same here by: DMB Like Matt, I can't say the word, singular or plural, and haven't for over twelve years, so I use the word 'paws' as a substitute. But I only hate male paws (including my own), girl paws don't bother me. When a guy says the actual word, it really bothers me, which is why I can't say it myself. Men should NEVER wear flip flops or sandals, or even worse go around with no shoes/socks at all, unless they're in the privacy of their own homes. This is just my opinion, but I sure wish everyone else agreed. i hate them. by: rod I used to be okay with it when i was smaller but i hink it started when one of my boyfriends had really big ugly feet and always walked around barefoot. After that relationship i couldnt stand them. Now when people talk about feet i cringe up and try to get out of there as soon as i can. My sister plays soccer so she has nasty feet and she and my brother will pin me down and rub their feet on my face. They think its absolutly hilarious and so do my friends.

The inly person who is actually serious about my phobia is my conselor who i talk to weekly about my phobia. If someone brings up the word i have to leave then and there. Im 15 years old and i have a phobia. Glad to know im not the only one((: i have to learn while im with people "dont look down" i'm the same by: Anonymous i have never been so scared of anything in my life. i feel disgusted and terrified when i am around feet, whether they are barefoot, socked, or shoed. i have cried when people put their feet on me, and i hate even seeing bare feet in my peripheral vison. i have to cover my eyes so i dont see them. if i get touched with a foot i have to wash the area or i feel dirty. i refuse to touch my own feet. i do not cut my own toe nails, etc. in the shower i avoid touching my feet to wash them. i wear socks almost 24/7, even on 100 degree days in the summer and i cannot sleep without socks. the feel of my feet touching one another also disgusts me. i do not let people touch my feet either.

when they do i feel naseus and grossed out because i don't know how they can willingly touch a foot. glad to know others are like me hmmm... by: Anonymous I have the same fear! but its odd because baby and children's feet dont bother me? anyone else have this exception??? Feet :/ by: Rose I dont like feet. When i see people touching their feet, i feel sick. I dont mind shoed or socked feet, but bare feet make me really uncomfortable. I dont like showing my feet either: i always feel like someone is staring and judging them. It makes me feel really exposed when i dont have socks or shoes on. im glad other people know what its like to feel the way i feel about feet :) ... by: Nasia I really and truly just can't stand feet, I'm not exactly scared of them but they just creep the hell out of me. My family all laugh at me and my brother and sister will make fun of me by going around barefoot or putting their feet near me.

I do dance and so as a safety precaution we aren't allowed to wear socks, thankfully we do a lot so I don't have time to really focus on the fact that I am in a room full of barefooted feet but if I ever look at someones foot I freak out and have to calm down. I'm from South Africa so my friends find it weird that I can't stand the sight or thought of feet. It is amazing and such a relief to finally find more people who are scared of feet. :) Retorsumpodophobia by: Anonymous I am 36, and I have been afraid of people who have podophobia for over twenty years. I was sixteen-years-old. We were at my family's summer cabin in Maine. My grandmother had podophobia. One day my grandfather discovered her feet in a shoe-box in a laundry basket. He gave them to me as a coming-of-age gift. He had stung them on a chain. I have never been the same. I feel your pain by: Zoe I have the biggest fear of feet. They absolutely disgust me. I wear socks and shoes in summer so that people can not see my feet. I hate the gross feeling that overcomes you when feet are around.

Ive had this fear for over 25 years by: Matt All these coments make sense, im so bad I cant even say the word F E E T, If I see someone wearing open shoes etc I look away from them, I HATE Them. Is there a cure? this is eating at me, it knocks your confidence big time and find other ways like drinking and smoking, I thought I was the only person with this fear. in Colombia too by: Juliana Dude, all the way from Colombia.. I want you all to know we are not alone as we thought!!! The feeling its just awful for me... Like, if I am making out with someone, or something... If I remember the guy has feet.. Oh God... It can just turn me totally off! likee ewww! My advice... never look down. Even though I know it's so hard.. Just pretend that word doesn't exists!! I am the same! by: Kelsita I have this fear and it is really hard to deal with when people just laugh at you for it. My father even chases me around my house with his bare feet or even his socks.

Even my niece and nephews have watched him...will pick up his socks and throw them at me. Even with me crying and screaming they don't stop. Weird thing is I don't have a problem with childrens, like toddlers, feet but anyone elses are just...ugggg! Wish people would just stop. I know exactly what your talking about! by: Anonymous I get so freaked out and I thought I was alone, people make fun of me. Feet, with shoes on or off make me feeel gross and I flip out every time I see one, When one touches me, I quickly jump up and run, I wash whatever part of my body was touched by it. I feel dirty and they are gross and scary. I hate feet so much and I have been like this since about a couple years ago. I didn't even know about this syndrom until a couple months ago, I've been searching for someone like me that i can share things with. I am glad I read your story. I now know I am not alone. OMG!

by: aly wow, i seriously thought i was the only one..My dad calls me crazy and says "no one else is like you" i have a fear of taking my socks off or being touched by feet and i'll get disgusted if i see it. The only time i don't have socks on is when i shower or swim. swimming even makes me feal insacure! knowing someone else has this makes me feel alot better :p and i hope there is some type of cure.omg! eww, feet by: holly i recently found out i have podophobia as well, it all started because my dad has disgusting feet and i gradually started hating them and being scared of them toushing me. my friends find it funny but once i started screaming, shaking and crying because someones foot touched me, i just feel so dirty and i feel it necessary to wash. i dont mind my own feet and i like walking barefooted but if people touch or even look at my feet i cover them up. i am happy to know im not the only one, i was starting to get worried about my rare phobia! I feel your pain. by: Ana I have the same problem.

My friends all think it's hilarious, and they put their feet all over me. Some people think it's for attention, but it's not. I hate feet. I think they're so disgusting! My feet are fine, but anyone else's feet, whether they have shoes on, socks on, or barefoot, I hate them. I hate it so much, people just make fun of me, but they don't understand, I mean, how would they like it if I shoved their biggest fear in their face? My two best friends shoved their feet in my face once, it was so gross, they had been wearing shoes all day, and their socks were so sweaty, and it was in front of 6 other friends, I was so angry, and they just laughed. To everyone who has the same problem, ♥♥♥ Podophobia I am a 12 year old girl and i have podophobia. When someone touches me their feet I just go crazy. I think r the wierdest most digusting things ever. My family knows of my phobia but the only one that really care is my mom everyone else likes to hold me down and touch me with their feet.

I have a very serious podophobia because whe some someone touches me with them or I see them close to me I start screaming and I get very angry for a longtime. But anyone who has podophobia just know you aren't alone!!!!!! Yeah.... by: Sam I have the exact same problem but all my friends and familly think im faking it and continue touching there feet to me or my things. I can not convince them that Im telling the truth. Im only 15 and they dont listen to me at all. Podophobia by: Anonymous Hi, I have a dog that i am pretty sure has podophobia. If my foot goes near her or goes in a swinging movement she yelps to the heavens even though i didn't touch her. She is not adopted..a breeder who was very nice gave her to us. She has never been beaten. One day i stepped on her leash with my foot and it choked her. Did that make her afraid of feet since she yelped in pain afterwards. If so how can i desensitize her? Eww ! by: Anonymous I'm 15 and i HATE feet for as long as i can remember.

Just their sight creeps me out, i'm okay with my own feet but no one else's. It's just very disturbing to me. If a barefoot touches me i have to take a shower and wash that spot well or just wash that spot clean until i don't feel dirty anymore. Feet with socks or shoes on are ok but open toed shoes just freak me out i hate the person that came up with that idea. At my school a lot of the girls tend to wear them and it is hell for me, my family tends to make fun of me for it and for most of the part ill cry about it. I haven't told my friends about it because i don't want them to think i'm weird-er than what i am already. Im just happy im not alone :) Podophobia by: Anonymous I tottaly have this! i thought i was the only one. my friends always attack me with their feet and they think its hilarious. even my spanish teacher put his bare feet in my face when we were in the Pacific Ocean on a sprong break trip with other spanish students. to this day i keep an eye on him while im in his class.

my entire spanish class will take 10 minutes out of the day just to talk about feet. its a love/hate relationship with that class. and i wear socks 24/7 i hate the 5 seconds without them when i change my socks every morning. and i was shocked when my friend told me that im the weird one for sleeping in my socks. i thought every body did that. im fine with my feet because they're attached. Huh by: ....... Finally someone who's got the same phobia as I do. I simply can't stand watching at someones feet. I think feet are so dirty and it's driving me crazy when I have to spend some time with someone who is bearfooted. me too !!! by: Anonymous i am 14 years old and also have a phobis of feet, im ok with my own feet but if someone touches my feet or looks at them or if someone touches me with their feet or has no socks and shoes on i go crazy. i refuse to wear open-aired shoes. my friends and boyfriend finds it quite amusing however my boyfriend is becoming more and more used to m phobia and is learning how to live with it.

he freaks out and panicks when im panicking over feet as he has no idea what to do. my friends all try to touch my feet or put their feet on me which is really annoying. Scared by: Anonymous I am terribly afraid of feet if a foot that is bare or in a sock touches me i will go crazy and have to wash it. Also they are just scary and i don't know ow to deal with it. :( same by: Mary I'm 14 and I've had podophobia since 7th grade. when i see bare feet i have to be away from them and if someone touches me with bare feet or with a sock on i have anxiety. My friend has touched me with her bare foot and i threw up because of how bad i freaked out. i have even woken up while sleeping in the same bed as a friend and i woke up because her foot was touching me so i made her sleep on the floor Wow, same by: Anonymous It's so weird because I do too ever since I was little. I am glad I am not the only one. It's so weird and I try not to tell anyone, but I want to get it passed. I hate it!

I hate walking around barefoot, it feels awkward. I don't know what to do .... complex podophobia by: Anonymous Well, i do believe that I have podophobia because...idk. even if somebody lifts there foot up for any reason i have to cove my eyes and i feel really uncomfortable...my friends have done this a couple time to me until they see me freak out and start crying. then they try comforting me, but i get pissed at them. also my bro thought it would be funny to grab my hand and put it on my foot. I started screaming my head off and i it felt like i was panicking, like if i'm trapped in a small enclosure with a foot near me. I mean for some strange reason i'm fine with my own feet...most of the time, but anytime a see a bare foot, its like i cant breath that easily and i get panicked and scared. me too! by: Anonymous I believe I had podophobia too. I can't look at feet , touch them or even smell them. If someone says " it smells like feet" , I tend to freak out. A lot. And if anyone touches me with their foot , i start crying , I cant explain it.

It is very childish but I cant control it. My friends think its the most hilarious thing , but I seriously cannot take it ! Feet are disgusting . the end . ToeToes by: Anonymous Feet, have been not my favorite body part for the longest time, but just recently it has gotten exponentially worse. I cant even wash them with my own Hands! I have to use a bath brush with a handle. Pedi-Egg is the GROSSEST invention ever. I make sure my feet are clean and well taken care of, no dryness becuase that is where all my fear comes from, Dry crusty feet that isn't taken care of. God, Clipping my toe nails is a complete nightmare. I hope to get over this someday. Im not saying I envy those who are able to touch their feet and go on like everyday yadda yadda, but I would at least like to cut my toe nails without washing (and drying out) my hands. I dont have it nearly as bad as some of you and I hope the best for you.=]. Ahhhh!!! Me tooo!!! by: Ali I'm 14 and i've been afraid of feet for a long time.

Whenever one touches me i feel so nasty and i have to rub the germs off till i feel like its not there anymore! I also hate socks, and any kind of feet. If i just see one i'm fine, but if it comes near me thats when i freak out.My friends think its hilarious, but its really not. Good to know i'm not alone. thank god ! by: Anonymous i finally found ppl suffering the same thing !! im 26 i have this phobia since i was 14 .. everybody wanted to know why i woudnt show off my feet ..and i didnt know what to say ! i tried to walk barefooted and it worked ..but only with ppl who dont know that i have a prblem with feet , i wasnt able to do that infront of family or friends who know my problem ... dude by: Tori I'm so happy right now. I knew I wasn't alone, but my podophobia has gotten so out of control that I can't stand to even be bare footed in my own home cause some of my family members walk around bare footed.

I was crying about it and decided to google this crap and found this and read all these comments and I feel so much better. Yall described EVERYTHING I feel when I'm around feet. and I'm glad to see yall's friends attack you too and it's not just mine haha. U can get over this fear, i did! by: Anonymous For 20 years I could not stand the thought of going barefoot. The furthest I got was taking a bath or having a shower. With this said, I was always curious about going barefoot outdoors like the rest of my family did. My advice to you is to go somewhere where nobody knows you, e.g. a park, a resort, the beach, etc. and get acquainted with going barefoot. The stress of people knowing you have this fear and mocking you for it is the most debilitating factor, but if you push that aside and go barefoot on your own you'll soon have the strength to do it in front of a crowd!

podophobia by: Anonymous im 14, i have podophobia and i hate it when i see any feet in socks, or bare i jus get freaked out ,disgusted get goosebumps and it makes me fee unconfortable i feel the same way! by: Anonymous i've hated feet ever since i can remember and i'm almsot 18. I have no problem with feet if they're not seen like under shoes or socks..but bare feet creep me out!..i just think they're so gross and disgusting and weird looking. I cannot ever sleep without socks and the only time i can touch someone elses feet is if they are babys feet or if we're in a pool otherwise i feel really dirty and i immedietly go wash my hands. its really embarrasing to tell people and some people dont know about it and they'll touch me with their feet and inside i feel like cringing..does anyone know how to help me!

- by: Anonymous I'm 14 and I have podophobia, I am fine seeing feet but if they get close to me I get anxiety and nearly start crying, I have to move really far away from the person and can't go near them for at least a half hour after the incident. I am normally fine if feet touch my feet as long as me and the other person both wear socks but it still feels really...dirty somehow and makes me want to take a bath or scrub my feet. My friends and family all joke about it saying how it'll be real sexy if I get married cause I won't be able to touch feet with the guy. It's so embarrasing when I go to sleepovers, parties, over to people's houses because I can't get close to people without making sure my feet are out of the way. It's kinda reassuring knowing that your not the only one out there with this. Me Too by: Anonymous I share the same uncommon phobia too. An external part of the body, feet, makes me cringe. The structure, 5 toes! I completely agree with your irrational fear.

podophobia by: Anonymous When i see feet like in my face or they touch me or sometone else toucches me with there feet it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable, and i know it sounds stupid but a lot of the time i will cry if its bare feet that touch me. I dislike feet by: Anonymous for awhile people made me feel like there was something wrong with me. I was so glad to find this page, and find out I'm not the only one. I don't mind feet in shoes, but if they touch me, I literally feel like I might throw up. Some of my newer friends try to touch me with their feet, and just laugh when I say stop, but they don't have a clue how dirty and disgusting I feel when a foot comes in contact with me. I don't like any feet, not even mine. but, I do have a weird shoe fetish, which always seemed odd to me, seeing as I hate feet, but love shoes, which go on feet? Feet?! by: Da DA Im an 18 also and I have podophobia which is fear of feet. I feel my phobia is a little diffrent then most.

I can see feet with socks and/or shoes with no problem its just bare feet make me very paranoid. I feel they are the nastiest things on the plant. I can hardly touch my own feet or have anyone touch my feet. But, my daughter's feet dont bother me at all.. although she is only a year old...Anyways im glad to hear there are people like me out there. I have tried many things and nothing has been able to help me with this so if anyone has had the similar problem and can help please contact me. bloodylette420 at ymail.com totally by: Rebecka I, too, have podophobia. The look, feel, SMELL, just anything freaks me out. I have been known to have an anxiety attack when someones touches me with their feet. I can't stand it when people wear flipflops around me. I hate even shoed feet. Oddly, i hate my own feet! I will not touch them other than to watch and cover them. I always have them hidden away in shoes. I am glad i'm not the only one with this condition...It is horrible when people make fun of you for such a thing.

(aka, kids at school, my own family...) glad I'm not alone by: Anonymous Finally, I thought I was just a weird person, but to see other people scared of feet makes me feel alot better. Although Im okay with my feet, if anyone touches me with their foot ( either bare or sock covered ) I scream really loud and one time almost cried. I want to find out more of how to treat this odd fear, I would like to live normally please. Everyone makes fun of how freaked out I get around feet. And I for one don't think it's a laughing matter. Even my FAMILY pokes their feet at me thinking it's just some stupid game I'm playing. Well it's not, this all might sound rather hilarious to people, but think of it this way: I am living in a world where my worst fear is faced everyday, and it's not just an oh no feet thing, people make fun of me. I scream and kick to show how much I'd rather be doing anything in the world then coming on contact with these gross tools called feet. I absolutely hate it but I can't stop this fear, i've tried, oh yes, I HAVE tried.

I can't bare to face this odd fear, but I try and manage Gross by: Anonymous I totally understand what you mean. I am the exact same way. I hate seeing feet, having them touch me or near me. I don't mind my own or if you have shoes on but other than that no. My family and friends make fun of me too and poke me with their feet just to see me freak out and run away. I just think their gross and I do not like them. Yuck... by: Anonymouse I hate feet too. Strange, but I'm okay with my own, but NOT others. Don't like looking at them, touching them, having them touch me (!) or even hearing them (?). My friends and family love joking about it, poking me with their feet...and then watching me freak out completely (especially because otherwise, I'm a pretty chill person). It's not actually that funny =/ I don't think it's elevated to an unmanageable level so if I were to have any phobia, fear of feet isn't that horrible. Agreed by: Anonymous I refuse to say the word, and just looking at it on the screen is making me anxious.

I even failed grade 11 math because I refused to use it in the form of measurements as well. I sleep with either shoes or socks on, and I wont take them off for anyone. People say it's ridiculous, but I disagree. I'm gad to know I'm not alone...but even in that sense I don't want to discuss it with anyone, cause I'd probably puke on you all. conforming- i have it too by: Anonymous ive had it for years.. and i thought i was alone untill i was at a sleepover and someone asked me a question related to it and i replied by saying nothing much but "i dont like .." then another person at the sleepover agreed with me and yeah.. were two people absolutly terrified of ... my phobias so bad i cant even say the word.. or hear the word or type it.. i never go Anywhere with out socks and shoes.. wish everyone the best =[ your not the only one x I have it too! I have about half that phobia. I do not like going bearfoot Good to know. by: Anonymous I never knew it was an actual phobia, but it's good to know there's a name for it.

I suffer from this phobia too, and people think it's funny to watch me freak. I can take shoed feet and even feet in socks, as long as the socked feet are nowhere near me. I can't handle bare feet either. I cry when people tough me with their feet, and I have to wash the area. I also want to throw up when I see people touching or picking at their feet. If they even do so much as put on socks, I ask them to wash their hands before touching me. It's weird, but good to know I'm not alone. i feel kinda the same by: Anonymous i just hate the thought of others peoples feet. like my feet are fine, just other peoples gross me out! socks are fine, but definitely not bare feet! i hate when people touch my feet or other people touch me with their feet! i feel the same by: Kelly Its not childish at all. I have the same thing for years, but i only realised recently that it was an actual phobia. They completely and totally freak me out Looking at them on the telly makes me completely cringy and feel so ill and i literally have to cover my face.

My mates find it hilarious and constantly think that it would be fun to chase me with bare feet or send me pictures of feet. I cant stand it I dont know why i hate them .. like you said...yes shoes are fine...socks no .. especially if there is a worn sock on the floor and i accidently stand on it i freak out. My feet i find though are ok. I cant even sit next to someone with socks on It freaks me out I cant explain it I seriously thought i was the only person that felt this way about feet ... at least not Others dont seem to understand but in a way i know that its weird myself but i cant help it sorry for the rambling ... me too by: Amie i have a severe fear of feet, its horrible. my family think its funny too try and put their feet on me but it makes me feel sick. i just feel nervous when i see feet, especially mens! and i get worried on holiday and i cant go to water parks because i get freaked out! im so glad other people suffer too. sameee I have the same thingggg shoes are fine.take em off and I freak out. If they touch, i have panic attacks. it's pretty intense.

people make fun of me, but I cant do anything about it yaknow? I know how you feel by: Julie YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!! I completely understand how you feel about feet. I am a 34 year old single mom with a college degree, so that just shows that it can happen to anyone. I work in an elementary school with 95% women. Spring and summer bring open toed shoes. My blood pressure goes up, I hyperventilate, and the gag reflex kicks in. My coworkers think it's funny and constantly try to touch me with their feet. I RUN! I thought I was crazy. I was glad to see that it is a real condition. umm.. i have a fear of rain! i know mine is ridiculous. but i cry when i have to walk outside even if im protected by the rain! Ditto Yeah, I have that too. And my friends think it's hilarious. So they attack me with their feet. And I have to scrub the area that they touched me with. Even my friends parents do that to me. I feel the same way. Yes, I have a fear of feet...

- SiOWfa12: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy SiOWfa12: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy This is the SC200 course blog for Fall 2012 Sign In Yes, I have a fear of feet... By Katie Byrne on October 22, 2012 8:16 PM | 5 Comments After reading a very interesting post about phobias, I decided to write about my most prominent phobia and research into why I am so scared of it. My biggest fear in the world is other people's feet. Yes, I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous and childish, but I actually can't stand the idea of someone's feet touching me, being near me, or me having to touch them. Clinically this is called podophobia. Who could find these scary, right? Personally, my fear of feet stemmed from when I was little. My best friend in first grade played soccer and often got athletes foot. She would peel all the gross dead skin off her feet and leave it on my pillow that I slept on.

Clearly as a child I was traumatized, but why now as an 18 year old do I still have this fear? After much researching I was interested to know that scientists have never done any study on podophobia and still have no discernable reason for why people have it. Though there were few known causes for podophobia there seemed to be many people who thought they could cure people of this. The most popular one that I found was an online audio session that hypnotized the patients and while in hypnosis "took away" their fear of feet. According to this hypnotic process phobias are simply learned patterns of behavior that rest in our unconscious mind. By inducing the hypnotic state, the hypnotist claims to break the negative pattern and have the patient accept a new conditioning in its place. If this actually works, no one can be sure as there have been no conclusive studies to show its affects, and I wasn't quite willing to spend 8 dollars on the audio set so I couldn't test it myself. Aside from hypnosis, many other forms of treatment were proposed by psychologists, which included psychotherapy, counseling, and drugs and medication.

While these all may seem to be a bit extreme for what seems a very foolish phobia, but some people's phobias become so crippling they cannot even function in daily life for fear of coming in contact with feet. Other effects of this phobia include a need to be wearing socks at all times or having panic attacks when thinking about or seeing feet. Some people's fear of feet also differs between men and women. Information has shown that women are more likely to have this fear, and were even more likely to solely fear the opposite gender's feet. Often times women associate men as dirtier and less sanitary which could explain this association with a fear of only male feet. In conclusion, I was fairly disappointed to find that their have been no conclusive studies on this phobia, but the general following of hypnosis in phobia's is very intriguing to me. Maybe my next blog will center just around hypnosis? Regardless as irrational as a fear can seem, it's a legitimate horror to those who experience it. Maybe in the coming months I'll try and find different solutions to eliminate my fear so that I stop making all the people on my dorm floor put on socks... What Does Podophobia Mean?

Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Home > Alternative Therapies 2 > What Does Podophobia Mean? Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Published August 18, 2016 by PUP What Does Podophobia Mean? Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Everyone has fear and anxiety but it is not strong enough to disrupt daily life. For example some people may have fear of cockroaches, darkness, height and they avoid them. But this type of fear is quite different from having phobia of something. A phobia is an unreasonable, irrational and continuous fear for a particular object or a situation. Phobias interfere with normal functioning. Podophobia is one such type of phobia in which person has fear of feet. It may sound strange as fear of feet is not common like many other phobias. However it is present in many people. Podophobia is derived from Greek word podos (feet) and phobos (fear). People suffering from podophobia typically get frightened and upset when they see or come close to feet. Some people are also frightened looking at their own feet. For this reason they always cover their feet with socks and shoes even when they take shower or sleep.

Podophobia can affect health of a person in many ways. For example keeping the feet covered all the time can lead to fungal infection and skin allergy. This illogical, unrealistic and absurd behavior can also affect the mental well being of a person. Possible Causes Of Podophobia The cause for fear of feet phobia till today is unclear. Researchers believe several unpleasant experiences in a person’s early childhood life related to feet may be responsible to trigger podophobia. For example a child may remember being kicked frequently by his elders and peers. This may have put a fearful imprint on the child’s mind. Thus during his whole life he may tend to get irritated, anxious and fearful when he observes bare feet of people. Some experts believe the condition may have genetic trait and it may be inherited. Person who has painful foot condition such as a hammertoe or bunion might over a period of time develop podophobia. People suffering from podophobia are generally found to be extremely overanxious and fearful. Signs And Symptoms Of Podophobia Podophobia persists for a long duration. The patient may suffer from variety of physical and psychological symptoms although he knows that the fear of feet is unrealistic. But this fact does not reduce the distress of a podophobic. He feels powerless to overcome the symptoms.

Below are given important symptoms of podophobia. Breathlessness and shallow breathing on seeing or thinking of feet. Rapid heartbeat and pulse. Intense sweating even when the atmosphere is cold. Trembling of hands and whole body. Gastrointestinal problems ranging from nausea to diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Feeling dizzy and faint. Always tries to cover his feet or asks other people to cover their feet. Gets fearful if others touch his feet. Keeps away from thinking, talking on subjects related to feet. The severity of symptoms may vary from one person to another. All these psychological and physical symptoms of podophobia can affect the social life of a person. Alternative Therapies To Overcome Podophobia The daily routine and daily life can be affected in people suffering from podophobia. To get rid of fear they may need medical help as well as positive thinking. Patient has to keep patience and perseverance when he is undergoing the treatment as the cure will take time. Patient may require several therapies such as psychotherapy, counseling, self help books which will help him to gradually overcome fear of feet. All these techniques basically involve desensitizing. It means the patient is exposed to the trigger slowly over a period of time.

Firstly he will be exposed to pictures of feet. Following which he may be told to touch feet of people or let others touch his feet. People suffering from this disorder are advised to regularly attend pedicure session. This will allow them to gradually expose to the sight and touch of his feet. Often knowing the root causes that has triggered this unnatural response can give a guideline for further treatment. Hypnotherapy is beneficial to know the inside of the patient’s mind. Antianxiolytic medicines are also recommended as a part of therapy by doctors. It helps to reduce anxiety occurring from podophobia. Related posts:

Question: Podophobia is the irrational fear of which part of the body?
Answer: Feet